KRA (Key Responsibility Area) 4: Based on learning from KRA s 2 AND 3, Develop sustainable action plans with time tables, clear responsibilities, objectives, and vision for making weekend hospitality a priority for both staff and parishioners. SMART GOAL 4.1: Hospitality Ministry/Welcome Kiosk/Greeters Objectives: Improve welcome experience Create a more intentional weekly routine before mass begins of welcoming and invitation that continues during and after mass. Create a ministry system for hospitality that recruits, develops, and maintains its volunteers (coordinating and building off of existing ministries that serve in greeting and welcoming). Provide ongoing, consistent opportunities for formation in the ministry of hospitality for the parish community. Make the first impression of the welcome table a more positive and hospitable experience. Develop, enhance, and sustain a parish culture of hospitality and invitation at Our Lady of Grace. Create a new welcome kiosk which provides concierge services Move location of the kiosk to make accessible to all Add fresh flowers Provide organized parish information including a current list of ministries indicating points of contact Recruit responsible, knowledgeable and committed people to man the kiosk before and after masses Develop and implement new guidelines and update training All church staff to become greeters Organize multiple teams of greeters and identify greeters with name tags Schedule greeters quarterly and provide regular training Provide priest's business cards that include mass schedules/phone numbers Request email or addresses from people inquiring at the Welcome Table Priest will provide a personal touch by sending a thank you note for stopping by via email or letter Re-evaluate timeline for Newcomer's monthly breakfast Reexamine procedures for registering parishioners Add option for home visit or phone call on new parishioner registration form Develop a warm up period for music and welcoming 15 minutes before mass begins that contains these elements or something similar: 1
o Music ministry begins with some warm up songs o A person from the hospitality ministry introduces himself/herself (this person would then be out at the welcome table after mass for any new comers) o Recognizes any newcomers in a special way, and invites them to meet him/her after mass out by the welcome area/table) o Delivers announcements o Introduces the liturgical day and week, and the presider for the mass o Music Ministry continues with any warm up music and/or instructions for mass o Leader of music ministry then invites the congregation to spend a few minutes in reverent silence to prepare for mass. o Highlight ministry of the week Recruit a hospitality coordinator, whom will oversee recruiting, development, and maintenance of the hospitality ministers for each mass. Responsibilities: o Recruit hospitality ministers with the help of priest s other parishioners and ministries such as welcoming and greeting. o Develop training opportunities: Some structured training/education for the hospitality team throughout the year. o Create an effective communication/coordination method, e.g. Flocknote, or something similar to share schedules, training sessions/opportunities, internet articles/reflections with the team. o Suggestion would also to be to create some social opportunities for the team to get together for fellowship and to promote hospitality within the team itself, e.g. bowling, coffee, etc. Perhaps as a group or at least one on one with whoever the coordinator of the team is. o Suggestion on the commitment for this role is three years with the option to continue or step back at three years. Rationale, this role would help provide some experience and continuity for the other hospitality ministers if the person in this role serves longer than one year. Recruit hospitality ministers (one for each mass) who will serve as leaders with music ministry for the pre-mass warm up and also help with on-going parish formation. Responsibilities: o Introductions and warm up mass time o Being at the welcome table after mass o Working with greeters to welcome and greet people between the warm up and the beginning of mass and after mass in the gathering space, but with a focus on the trying to identify newcomers. o Work with welcoming ministry to help connect newcomers to the newcomer brunch and other activities. 2
o Help with opportunities for ongoing hospitality and welcoming formation that would be open to everyone in the parish. Discuss and coordinate/integrate hospitality team goals with welcome ministry and greeter ministry to enhance the culture of hospitality and invitation and also not reinvent the wheel. Develop and implement ongoing opportunities for parishioners to participate in hospitality faith formation. Activities/events should be open to all individuals and/or all ministries in the parish, even if someone or some group does not want to be a greeter or hospitality minister. Make activities something social and fun, find guest speakers, maybe provide coffee or a meal. When appropriate, coordinate with existing ministries/activities to implement hospitality formation, i.e Taste of Grace, Youth Ministry, Coffee and Doughnuts, Bible Study Groups, etc. Whether coordinating with other groups or creating independent activities/events, these should be ongoing and consistent, e.g. planning at least one event quarterly at first and ideally monthly once things start rolling. Responsible Parties: Priests Parish Staff Welcome Ministry Liturgy Council Music Ministry Greeter Ministry Hospitality Ministry Time Tables: Hospitality Ministry -2 leads; 2-year term, annual rotation Welcome Kiosk - 6 months Ongoing SMART GOAL 4.2: Interior Signage Objectives: Intuitive interior signage ensures first-time visitors know where to go. Dynamic announcements reveal ministry opportunities without distracting from liturgical setting. Display basic parish information and values prominently. A weekend setting where regular parishioners and visitors easily discover OLG s mission, where to go, and how to get involved in their faith. 3
New Interior Direction Signs o Create signs directing towards rooms/offices at major intersections. Include restrooms, parish offices, school, preschool, Mom s Day Out, Community Room, Aller Library, Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Confessional, Daily Mass Chapel, etc. o Include signs at all entrances and major intersections, including all doors and at ends of both hallways. Be sure that signs are in most obvious lines of sight. o Make all signs bilingual (English & Spanish). o Include pop-out signs so that rooms can be easily identified down main hallways. o Improve lighting, perhaps with backlights around particular signs or displays. o Signs should stand out with color that is bold instead of getting lost of similar-colored walls. TV Screen Displays o Replace Schedule & Liturgy black display case with TV with scrolling announcements and scheduling. Replace one bulletin board in opposite hallway with same setup. (See Holy Spirit at Geist and SLDM for examples) Also place TV with scrolling in announcements by RE Office entrance. o Add TV screens above main sanctuary entrances for scrolling announcements/readings of the day (would also have capacity for simulcasting Mass on major holidays or for those with children). Perhaps 4
these can be in cabinets so as to have the ability to be hidden when appropriate. o Include TV with welcome table/information. Parish Information Wall o Create Information Wall about the parish, mission, vision, strategic plan, pastor, staff, history, how to learn more, about Catholicism, etc. This could replace bulletin boards along main entrance hallway or could be placed on the wall with the Strategic sign near church entrance. o Remove bulletin boards along main entrance of church or consolidate in another space, perhaps in hallway towards Community Room. Placing bulletin boards here would put them in a location that is likely to be walked by while still keeping the market out of the temple and avoiding the main sacred space. This would make room for the Parish Information Wall or for faithful imagery. Professional Banner Displays o Permanent signs in Gathering Space for welcome should be bold and hospitable. 5
o For annual or regular parish events and activities that make displays in Gathering Space, create banners rather than using the easel or homemade displays when it is sensible to do so. Campus Map Display o Diagram with main meeting spaces & restrooms (CR, Grace Hall, DC, Aller Library, etc.) o Placed near all entrances or with welcome table in gathering space (or both) Responsible Parties: Facilities Staff (and facilities volunteers, if applicable) Communications Director (TV Screen Display Tech & Content, Parish Information Wall) Ministry Leaders (Banner Displays) Liturgy Council (for input on placement of signs and TVs in liturgical space) Time Tables: New Interior Direction Signs - 3 months TV Screen Displays - 6 months Parish Information Wall - 6 months Professional Banner Displays - Ongoing Campus Map Display - 3 months SMART GOAL 4.3: Restrooms Objective: Update and refresh two male and two female church restrooms. Create comfortable and functional restrooms. Establish budget Update fixtures, sinks and countertops Improve and update lighting Change paint and tile Install new partitions 6
Improve upon handicap accessibility Install taller commodes Improve HVAC for adequate climate control Add refreshable posted media holders Install speakers Add wall shelves and update wall décor Update changing tables and stock with baby wipes Add hand dryer Relocate paper towel holder near sinks Construct a family restroom Repair and maintain water fountains Prioritize needs/wants Request bids Obtain building permits Hire contractors Responsible Parties: Father Tom Brian Meier Restroom/Facilities Committees Parishioners Volunteers Donors Time Table: 6 months SMART GOAL 4.4: Décor/Cry Room Objective: Update the Curb Appeal of the indoor facilities so that the worship environment is more inviting. Feel a strong sense of invitation when attendees enter the building. Cry Room o Update chairs, color and control temperature o Provide kneeler and comfortable seating o Maintain cry room for intended purpose and identify with signage o Rename the cry room with a positive name which also identifies space as appropriate for nursing mothers 7
o Include child/parent faith resources Children s books, children s bulletins and parent information pertinent to faith formation/information Rest of Building o Carpet o Furniture o Color: walls/sanctuary/outside of Gathering Space o Liturgical colors-with respect to more visibility to attendees o Banners in Gathering Space with Welcome or with words related to liturgical season (i.e. Feliz Navidad/He is Risen/Rejoice). Responsible parties: Liturgical Space Designer, along with Barb Leap Brian Meier Facilities Council (reform existing council or create new) Property management expert Father Logsdon Time Tables: 6 12 months Completion- January 2017 SMART GOAL 4.5: Improve Landscaping Objectives: Improve appearance of grounds. Create infrastructure to manage landscaping special projects. Create an inviting curb appeal. Create Facility Management Team (FMT) Develop landscaping and special project budget Form landscaping team Determine meeting frequency and schedule for landscaping team Create 2016 plan for routine maintenance and special projects Partner with external partners to support special projects Recruit parishioners with gardening interests Solicit advertising and donations Responsible Parties: Brian Meier Landscaping Team Facility Management Team 8
Time Tables: 4-6 months Ongoing WEST TEAM Members: Andy Erbse, Karen Field, Terry Griesinger, Tina Griesinger, Zach Haselhorst, James Hogan, Shelley Horn, Jeff Olson, Laura Reuter, Maribel Selby, and Jake Teitgen. 9